The new supplementary charter, which came into effect on 6 June after consultation with the RIAS membership, streamlines and modernises the governance of the organisation, and facilitates a more transparent relationship between RIAS members and its leadership. 

The most significant change to RIAS governance is the replacement of the RIAS Council with a new Board of Trustees. As a smaller group, individual trustees will be more accountable to RIAS members regarding the decisions made by the board as a whole, and in tandem with other changes, will allow for members’ voices to be more effectively heard through RIAS chapters, committees and the members’ forum.

The new supplementary charter, alongside revised bylaws, implements the first comprehensive rethink of RIAS governance since the organisation’s first royal charter was granted in 1922, with previous supplementary charters in 1929 and 2003 introducing relatively modest revisions. Its enactment represents the culmination of seven years’ work by the RIAS to modernise its governance, and follows detailed consultation with RIAS members, who approved the direction of travel at a special general meeting in 2022.

The new supplementary charter was prepared in consultation with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), and subsequently approved by the RIAS Council in March 2024 and RIAS members at a special general meeting in June 2024 ahead of submission to the Privy Council for its approval and enactment.

The new RIAS supplementary charter, alongside the full set of bylaws, policies, procedures and guidance, are available on the RIAS website. These will continue to be reviewed and revised where necessary at regular intervals, in consultation with RIAS members.

RIAS president Karen Anderson said: “The new RIAS supplementary charter is a major milestone for our organisation, and equips the RIAS with a new governance structure that is clearly focused on transparency, efficiency and serving our members. I am extremely grateful to our members, successive RIAS Councils and the new Trustee Board, as well as key stakeholders including OSCR for their valuable input. I would particularly like to thank my colleague Richard Atkins, who chairs the RIAS governance and policy committee, for his exceptional support.

“While it has been important for the RIAS to focus on its internal governance, it is even more important now to use the tools we have to serve our members and be an effective champion for architecture in Scotland.”